Japan, Hong Kong and Korea. “I thought, gosh, you better find another market for these cherries,” Chinchiolo recalls. Pivoting to direct sales was a common move for farms with perishable goods during the pandemic. Some developed their own websites to take customer orders. Others partnered with farms that already sold subscription produce boxes, offering either on-farm pickup or home delivery. Demand for premium produce While some of those farms have since gone back to marketing their crops through more traditional channels as life returned to normal, Chinchiolo has expanded his direct-sales cherry business. The bulk of his crop still goes to a traditional commercial packer, he says. But he’s also delivering to more homes and has maintained his U-pick business for people who want to visit the farm and pick their own cherries. “The response back from the consumer was so positive, it was clear to me that a market exists to deliver people premium cherries,” he says, adding that he thinks buying directly from farms also helps his customers connect with modern agriculture. To pull off the logistics of shipping people farm-fresh cherries that remain fresh when they get them, Chinchiolo looks to Jimmy Williams, the farm’s consulting operations manager. Before lending his expertise to Chinchiolo, Williams worked for years in export sales for a major cherry grower, packer, shipper and marketer in Stockton. Williams says American consumers still get “very good cherries in terms of flavor and eating quality.” But he acknowledges export cherries tend to be larger, with the desired color, sugars and firmness to ensure they can make the trip and arrive in good condition. Packed and shipped the same day Chinchiolo Farming ships cherries to all 48 contiguous states with a minimum order of $60 for a 4-pound box. The fruit is packed and shipped the same day it’s picked, with harvest season typically running from mid-May to mid-June. To ensure freshness, the boxes are insulated and packed with ice gel and sent by next-day or two-day air, depending on customer preference, for states east of Utah or Colorado. Shipments to the west and within California go by overnight FedEx truck. The farm replaces orders that arrive in suboptimal condition due to shipping delays, which has been rare,
Jesus Carranza, above, prepares a box of Blooms Cherries for delivery. From the field, the fruit goes straight to the packinghouse to be sorted, washed, left, and packed.
There’s an inherent risk to farming all crops. But cherries remain arguably one of the riskiest. That’s why Chinchiolo Farming won’t take presale orders until April 1, about a month and a half before cherry harvest. “By then, the risk of frost has diminished significantly,” farmer James Chinchiolo says. “I want to make sure we have a viable crop before we start accepting people’s money.” Frost can completely wipe out his crop, he says, which happened two years ago. Heavy rain before harvest could crack the skin of the cherries, making them unmarketable. A mild winter could cause poor yields, as most cherry trees need at least 700 hours of chilling temperatures below 45 degrees. Excessive summer heat when flower buds are forming can lead to cherry doubles and spurs, both of which are good to eat but typically sell at a reduced price. Risky business
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